Fifth International Conference on Serpentine Ecology University of Siena Department of Environmental Science G. Sarfatti Accademia dei Fisiocritici Siena, Italy May 9-13, 2006 Second Circular
Overview Ultramafic rocks (known as serpentine in the botanical and ecological literature), and the soils derived from them, occur throughout the globe. They form specialized habitats that host unique species and communities. In 1991, scientists studying ultramafic sites first gathered together on an international scale to share their research findings on the campus of the University of California, Davis, USA. The success of that first symposium, along with its attendant field trip to local ultramafic sites, inspired the several international conferences that have been held since then. These were situated at widely separated sites with nearby ultramafic locales: at ORSTOM headquarters in Noumea, New Caledonia (1995), at Kruger National Park in South Africa (1999) and at the National Botanical Garden in Havana, Cuba in 2003. The 2006 conference will be held in Europe for the first time, at the University of Siena, Italy. Prof. Alessandro Chiarucci Prof. Roberto Gabbrielli Dr. Cristina Gonnelli Prof. Mauro Mariotti Dr. Andrea Saccani Dr. Giulia Vercesi Organizing Committee alessandro.chiarucci@unisi.it gabbrielli@unifi.it cristina.gonnelli@unifi.it mauro.mariotti@unimi.it riservaprinzera@libero.it gvercesi@et.unipv.it Scientific Committee Prof. Alan J.M. Baker ajmb@unimelb.edu.au Prof. Rosalina Berazaín Iturralde hajb@ceniai.inf.cu Prof. Robert Boyd rboyd@acesag.auburn.edu Prof. Alessandro Chiarucci alessandro.chiarucci@unisi.it Prof. Roberto Gabbrielli gabbrielli@unifi.it Prof. John Proctor jp1@stir.ac.uk Prof. Nishanta Rajakaruna nrajakaruna@coa.edu Prof. Roger Reeves R.Reeves@massey.ac.nz
Organizing secretariat Università di Siena Servizio Congressi Banchi di Sotto 46, 53100 Siena, Italy Tel +39-0577-232132 e-mail: corsir@unisi.it Scientific secretariat Dr. Cristina Gonnelli Dipartimento di Biologia Vegetale Università di Firenze Via La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy Fax: +39 055 282358 e-mail: cristina.gonnelli@unifi.it Conference Program 9 May: Registration and welcome party 10 May: Lectures 11 May: Lectures 12 May: Mid-Conference field trip 13 May: Lectures and Closure 14-17 May: Post conference field trip Conference Topics - Soils and microbiology - Biodiversity: biogeographical and ecological issues - Population and community ecology - Physiological ecology of serpentine plants - Serpentine faunas: interactions with soils and plants - Conservation and management of serpentine areas - Posters Post-Conference Excursion A 4-day post-conference excursion will visit the main ultramafic outcrops of Tuscany, Emilia, Piedmont and Liguria regions. The sites to be visited are nature reserves associated within the C.A.P.O. (Coordination of Ophiolitic Protected Areas) and form a site network devoted to the conservation of habitats on serpentine soils.
The post-conference excursion is organized by Prof. Mauro Mariotti (University of Milan) and Dr. Andrea Saccani (National Coordinator of the C.A.P.O.). Local experts will guide the excursion at each site. The excursion will depart in the morning of May 14 from Siena and will be back in the evening of May 17. On May 17 it will be possible to reach the airports of Pisa or Florence for earlier departures (Pisa can be reached by 10.30 and Florence can be reached by 12.00). A limited number of seats for the post-conference excursion are available (about 50) and we will arrange a priority list based on reservation date. Delegates wishing to join the post-conference excursion should register as soon as possible to be sure of obtaining a seat. Registration and deadline An on-line registration form is available in the registration page of the conference web site. Deadline for registration and submission of abstracts is 31 January 2006. Registration fees Registration fees for the conference and post-conference excursion are listed below. The conference fee includes: conference documents, welcome party, 3 lunches (10, 11 and 13 May), social dinner (13 May), transport and meal for the mid-conference field trip. The accompanying person fee includes: welcome party, social dinner, guided tour of Siena. The post-conference excursion fee includes: transportation, accommodations and meals for the excursion period (14-17 May). Fees Conference Post-Conference Excursion Early (by 20/01/06) Late (after 20/01/06) Early (by 20/01/06) Late (after 20/01/06) Regular registration 300 450 400 600 Reduced registration (students and retired delegates) 150 300 300 450 Accompanying Person 100 200 300 450
Economic support Some economic support should be available for delegates from countries with currency problems. Delegates interested in obtaining economic support are requested to contact: Prof. Alessandro Chiarucci (chiarucci@unisi.it) no later than December 2005. Submission of abstract Abstracts of lectures and posters can be submitted by using the "abstract submission" on-line form available at the conference web site. Authors are invited to indicate the topic of interest and their preferred form of presentation (poster or oral presentation). Changing presentation types from oral to poster presentations (or vice versa) might be necessary to arrange the final program and will be discussed with authors if needed. Publication of the proceedings We are still discussing the publication of the proceedings with possible editors. Accommodation for foreign delegates: Please keep in mind that that Siena is a tourist town and we strongly recommend that delegates arrange hotel reservations as soon as possible. Siena Hotel Promotion can help you with your hotel reservation. A hotel reservation form is available at the conference web site. Social Program: A program for the delegates and their accompanying guests will be available.